


Yeah we’re breakin’ free

by carolc24



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Cuddling, F/M, First ‘date’, Fluff, Food issues because its horrortale, HorrorTale, Minor Blood and Gore, some weird human musical
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-15
Updated: 2017-12-15
Packaged: 2019-02-15 01:20:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13020264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carolc24/pseuds/carolc24
Summary: Horrortale is pretty dull.  It needs more secret romances! Or, Undyne and Papyrus take a break from hunting/cooking and watch a movie.





	Yeah we’re breakin’ free

**Author's Note:**

  * For [captain_shitpost](https://archiveofourown.org/users/captain_shitpost/gifts).



Undyne smelled nice.

That was the only way he would describe her scent out loud, brief and nondescript. Papyrus used to put a lot of effort into expressing himself with “fancy words”, as Sans would say, but no one seemed to like that much. Even Undyne would call things she liked “awesome!!!!” or “sweet!!!!!” and things she disliked “dorky crap!!!!!!” instead of being a little more creative with her speech. So Papyrus followed her example, in that regard.

In his head, though, he admitted to having more complex feelings about Undyne’s smell. Papyrus was adept at sniffing out potential meals: freshly fallen monsters, weak humans, maybe a snail or two that hadn’t already been snatched up by some kid in Waterfall. They would smell rich, decadent, like another few days of survival for someone in Snowdin Town. They would make him ache with hunger, fill him with the drive to catch the food and bring it home.

Undyne’s smell was different. She smelled... like fish, probably, if he wanted to be literal. But the feelings that her smell arose in him were more like a spiritual hunger (seriously, could Papyrus be any more of a dork? Who says things like that?). It made him want something he couldn’t quite grasp at first. He didn’t really want to eat her, it seemed like a waste of resources to do so. She could be more useful in hunting, keeping the peace... being with Papyrus... touching him... kissing him...

It was companionship he wanted, Papyrus eventually decided. He felt that desire whenever she was near, while he watched her spear one of the many ruffians who tried to steal from her food stores. It didn’t seem quite normal to simply admire her form in combat so strongly.

Often, he thought of stories the old turtle used to tell him and Sans about the King and Queen so long ago. How affectionate they would be with each other, nuzzling noses and calling each other pet names. That time was long gone, of course, but Papyrus wished he could have seen them, just once. Then maybe he could figure out why the stories would make him so forlorn.

Sometimes, he would catch Undyne watching him with a gaze far more gentle than she normally wore, but still... searching, like there was something she wanted from him. She would brush it off, usually.

 

Things changed when Papyrus found the little book in the garbage dump while seeking out a nest of mice. It was a guide to “dating”, according to the front cover, and the table of contents described things that humans would do with each other, some of which Papyrus knew already, others completely alien. According to the book, if he followed its instructions, he could do those things with “that special someone”. He kept it hidden underneath a floorboard in his room, embarrassed that such an idea would be so entrancing to him when people were starving to death in their homes. No time for frivolities. Snowdin’s survival had to be his first priority, always.

 

And then Undyne invited him over to “watch TV”.

Papyrus had no idea what that meant, but a chance to spend time with Undyne could not go to waste. So he accepted, and showed up at her house precisely on time. Well, as “on time” as he could be, since Undyne didn’t give him a time.

Undyne greeted him at the door in her usual outfit, but she seemed tidier than normal. Her hair was tied up and free of blood and dust, and her nails were trimmed. Papyrus remembered the dating manual and its section on clothing, and figured that this was as dressed up as Undyne would ever be in her own home.

“I made you something...” Undyne didn’t need to gesture to the plate of steaming food for Papyrus to notice it. It was a plate of spaghetti, as fresh and bloody and rich-smelling as any they had ever made together. They rarely indulged in their own food like this, preferring community dinners to private engagements for rare meat-meals. This was an incredibly special gift. Papyrus could barely keep himself from crying. 

“Thank you...” Papyrus sat down at the table, jittering with excitement. “I have something for you, too... maybe we can enjoy these with the spaghetti?” He produced the eyeballs he had saved from the last human, kept fresh by magic in his inventory. He handed one to Undyne, who popped it in her mouth immediately and grinned.

“This rules! Thanks, Papyrus!” She shoved a handful of spaghetti in her mouth, and Papyrus copied her movements, swallowing a blob of meaty pasta in one gulp. He could feel the warm blood staining his bones, infusing into his magic. He could also feel his stomach fluttering with nerves.

They finished the meal in minutes, and Papyrus wound up on the couch in front of Undyne’s new TV, built by Alphys. She fiddled with the contraption until it displayed an image of several humans, and then flopped onto the couch next to Papyrus. He pretended not to notice that they were touching as the film started.

It wasn’t anything like what Papyrus had heard of humans before. No one was killing any monsters or using any time-warping magic, and there wasn’t any blood at all. The humans mostly just sang and danced, and some of them seemed to approve of singing more than others. One human kept trying to give food to the other humans, who didn’t seem interested. Undyne sneered about the humans letting good food go to waste while monsters starved under the mountain, but Papyrus didn’t pay much attention to what she was saying. Mostly he just savored how her body heat was warming his bones. More than meat. More than human meat, even.

“Are you jealous of them?” Papyrus asked, near the end of the movie.

“What do you mean?” Undyne was getting sleepy. Her head was resting on Papyrus’s shoulder, where he tried not to shiver with excitement.

“I mean...” He searched for the right words. “I’ve never done anything like what these humans are doing, but I think it would be nice. Do you think that, too?”

Undyne thought for a minute. The novelty of Undyne being quiet was enough to make Papyrus even more nervous, but then she responded, and he felt warm and light again.

“I guess...” Her voice could be felt all through his body. “It would be really nice. To sing and dance on a stage, I mean. Fighting is a lot like dancing, isn’t it?” 

“Of course it is!!!”

The movie ended to Undyne asleep on top of Papyrus, and he nodded off as well. He dreamed about singing to Undyne, and Undyne singing to him, and cuddling on a rooftop filled with bright sunlight.


End file.
